Definition of fess
1 : a broad horizontal bar across the middle of a heraldic field
2 : the center point of an armorial escutcheon
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Origin and Etymology of fess
Middle English fesse, from Anglo-French faisse band, from Latin fascia — more at fascia
Recent Examples of fess from the Web
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Trump belatedly fesses up about that Russian meeting.
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When Mary Drake 'fessed up to the police about the burial spot, that removed the final piece of A.D.'s blackmail against the girls.
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Big oops: Guadalupe then 'fessed up to having his girlfriend's pistol in his pocket, which triggered his arrest, according to his arrest report.
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And von Frankenstein fesses up to being the reason behind any delay.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fess.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of fess
short for confess
Learn More about fess
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See words that rhyme with fess Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fess Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fess
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